Apparatus for withdrawing yarn from bobbin

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for unwinding yarn from a bobbin supported in an outwardly projecting manner on a creel has a rotatable shaft disposed above the bobbin and spaced forwardly of the frame or backplate comprising the creel. An arm is provided having on one end an arm root rotatably mounted on the shaft and a yarn-guiding member on the other end substantially coaxial with and forwardly spaced from the bobbin. A pair of flange plates is secured to the shaft closely adjacent to the sides of the arm root so as to resiliently and yieldably engage the arm root whereby the arm is rotatable with the shaft and is also rotatable independently on the shaft.

I United States Patent Hori et al. [451 an 25, 1972 s41 APPARATUS FOR WITHDRAWING 1,962,974 6/1934 Wardwell ..242/12s YARN FROM BOBBIN 2,283,079 5/1942 McDermott.... ..242/l28 [72] Inventors: Kikuo Hori, 2750-1, Minamiyoshida- Primary Examiner-Leonard D. Christian machi; Masakazu Fujita, 2901, Attorney-Sherman and Shalloway Minamiyoshida-machi, both of Matsuyama-shi, Ehime-ken, Japan [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: May 12, 1970 An apparatus for unwinding yarn from a bobbin supported in an outwardly projecting manner on a creel has a rotatable [2]] Appl' 36517 shaft disposed above the bobbin and spaced forwardly of the frame or backplate comprising the creel. An arm is provided [30] Foreign Application Priority Data having on one end an arm root rotatably mounted on the shaft and a yarn-guiding member on the other end substantially May 17, Japan coaxial and forwardly Spaced from he A p of flange plates is secured to the shaft closely adjacent to the if Rag 242/l29'72' sides of the arm root so as to resiliently and yieldably engage h 49/02 Dozh D03] 5/08 the arm root whereby the arm is rotatable with the shaft and is [5 Field 0 earch i also rotatable independently on the Shaft 6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,547,813 7/1925 Herr et a1 ..242/l28 X ll 11 115 11 I PATENTED JANZS I972 MN w W Fig. .7

Fig. 6

APPARATUS FOR WHTIIDRAWING YARN FROM BOBBIN The present invention relates to an apparatus for withdrawing or unwinding yarn from packages such as bobbins and more particularly to the improvement comprising enabling the easy dofflng and loading of bobbins in an apparatus for unwinding synthetic monofllaments or multifllaments from the bobbins loaded on a creel stand attached to a draw-winder or a draw-twister and runningthe yarn through the treatment zone located below the creel stand.

In general, in a drawing apparatus for synthetic fibers is provided a creel stand accommodating undrawn yarn bobbins in the upper part of the apparatus, and the undrawn yarn is withdrawn from the bobbins loaded on the creel stand, passed through the yarn feed guides mounted before the creel stand, and led into the drawing treatment zone located below the creel stand. In this drawing apparatus, the .yarn feed guides are secured to bars or arms spaced from, and in front of, the bobbin holders of the creel stand.

Thus, in replacing .undrawn yarn bobbins, it is necessary to supply new undrawn yarn bobbins to the creel stand through and between the guide bars or arms while taking every precaution so as not to abrade and stain the undrawn yarn by its contact with the bars or arms, and therefore this replacement operation requires much time and labor. Further even the slightest wrong operation very often injures and stains the undrawn yarn packages To overcome this defect, it has been attempted to conduct the replacement operation under conditions where there is no obstacle in front of the creel stand. This could be possible by providing guide arms rotatable around a shaft disposed above the creel stand and by rotating the arms through about 90 upwards when undrawn yarn bobbins are supplied. However, in a drawing apparatus the replacement of undrawn yarn bobbins is usually and frequently carried out collectively from a large number of positions, and the aforementioned device is very inefficient because of the up and down motions of the arms at each position.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an-apparatus for withdrawing or unwinding yarn from a bobbin capable of uplifting collectively a plurality of guide arms located in front of the creel stand, by the rotation of the shaft, to a position where they do not interfere with bobbin replacement operations or returning them toa position of normal operations and capable of rotating individually each guide arm manually by an operative or by other outer force independently of the rotation of the arms in accordance with said rotation of the shaft.

The present invention provides an apparatus for raveling yarn from a bobbin comprising a creel stand including a substantially perpendicular backplate and a bobbin holder outwardly projecting from said backplate perpendicular to said backplate; a shaft disposed rotatably above the holder and spaced from, and in front of, the backplate; and arm having its root at one end and a guiding member at the other end of the arm, the guiding member being disposed spaced from, and in front of, the holder coaxially with the bobbin loaded on the holder; flange plates fitted to the shaft closely adjacent to both sides of the arm root; and mechanism to rotate the shaft at a predetermined rotary angle whereby the arm root and the flange plates are adapted to engage with each other resiliently and yieldably so as to make the arm rotatable or movable relative to the flange plates and thereby the arm rotates together with the shaft when the shaft rotates and is also rotatable around the shaft by an outer force other than a force for driving the shaft.

The apparatus of the present invention is not only particularly useful as an apparatus for withdrawing or unwinding yarn in a draw-winder or a draw-twister but also useful as an.apparatus for withdrawing or unwinding yam from bobbins in another apparatus for processing yarn comprising a creel stand at the upper part thereof and a yarn-processing zone and a windup mechanism at the lower part thereof. One embodiment of the present inventionwill be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. I is a simplified arrangement plan showing the outline of a draw-twister to which the apparatus of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrative of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a crosssectional viewillustrating the engagement between the arm root and the flange plates.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in section taken on line AA seen in the arrow direction of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the engaged arm root and flange plates in the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the side face of a pressure contact material in the apparatus of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the side face of the arm root in FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a view partially in cross section which shows further another embodiment of the arm root and flange plates. In FIGS. 1 and 2, a creel stand comprises a frame or backplate standing erect a plurality of holders 2 outwardly projecting therefrom and providing a support member l for, holders 2 being loaded with supply bobbins 3 upon which unstretched yarn y is wound. A shaft 4 is rotatably mounted on a bracket (not shown) above, in front of, andin parallel to the creel stand and spaced therefrom. Shaft 4 is provided with a guide arm 7, and a guiding member 6 is fitted to theend of arm 7 substantially coaxially with, and in front of, supply bobbin 3 mounted on holder 2 at a position spaced from the end of supply bobbin 3.

Below guiding member 6 are disposed a drawing mechanism and a twisting and winding up mechanism of a well-known type. Undrawn yarn y is raveled from supply bobbin 3 and pulledout downwards through guiding member 6. Then undrawn yarn y is passed through a top cot roll 104 rotatably engaged with a feed roll 103 by a fixed guide 101 and a arm 102 it is and it is fed to feed roll 103. A hotplate 106 is heated to a selected draw temperature of synthetic fibers by an electric heater means 105 and is provided below feed roll 103. Under hotplate 106 are disposed a draw roll 107 and a separator roll I08. Undrawn yarn y is passed on hotplate 106 through driven feed roll 103 and then passed through driven draw roll 107 and separator roll 108. The yarn is drawn according to the difference of circumferential speed between feed roll 103 and draw roll 107.

Drawn yarn y passes through balloon guide 109 and is guided into a ring and traveler assembly 110 where it is twisted and wound around a windup bobbin 111. as package y".

According to the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3,.arm 7 is rotatably mounted on shaft 4 through arm root l0, and flange plates 8 and 8' are secured to shaft 4, closely ad jacent to both sides of arm root 10. Arm root 10 and flange plates 8 and 8' are resiliently and yieldably engaged so that the arm root 10 is movable and rotatable relative to the flange plates 8, 8. Accordingly arm 7 rotates as shaft 4 is rotated and is adapted to be rotatable around shaft 4 by an outer force other than the driving force for shaft 4, for instance, by a manual force applied to arm 7.

In FIG. 2, a crank 50 is mounted on an end of shaft 4 to rotate shaft 4 and is connected to a crank support 5b which is controlled by a piston rod 5c of an oil pressure (or air pressure) cylinder 5d, etc. Cylinder Ed is connected to an electromagnetic valve (not shown). With the actuating of the electromagnetic valve, piston rod 5c reciprocate up and down thereby rotating shaft 4 through crank support 5b and crank 50.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 flange plates fl and 0' are unrotatably secured to shaft 4 with keys 14 and M around shaft 4 respectively and spaced from each other with adjusting nuts 15 and 15'. Arm root 10 is rotatably mounted through a bearing 11 around shaft 4 between flange plates 8 and 8'. Pressure contact elements and 12b each including a pair of retractable protuberances. are adapted to project on both sides of arm root 10with springs 13a and 13b, respectively. On the other hand recesses 9a, 9b, 9c and 9d are bored on the sides of the two flange plates facing arm root 10 to permit said protuberances to be engaged with the recesses.

In the apparatus of the present invention, when yarn-drawing operations are normally being conducted, the positions of retractable protuberances 12a and 12b in arm root l and those of recesses 9a, 9b, 9c and 9d on flange plates 8 and 8 are to be adjusted so that arm 7 is secured in a position where it hangs down from shaft 4 and guiding member 6 fitted to arm 7 is located in front of undrawn yarn bobbin 3. That is, if protuberances 12a and 12b are engaged into recesses 9a 9b of flanges 8 and 8 as shown in FIG. 4 and cylinder 5d is actuated to rotate shaft 4 clockwise through about 90 when all the bobbins 3 are to be replaced collectively, all the arms 7 are rotated upwardly and uplifted from the front of the creel stand to a position that does not obstruct the replacement operations of bobbins to enable the very easy doffing and loading of bobbins. When doffmg and loading of bobbins is finished, return cylinder 5d returns to the original position, which in turn makes shaft 4 rotate in the opposite direction and arm 7 returns to the original position. Thus undrawn yarn is guided through guiding member 6 to start the new drawing operations. When only some undrawn yarn bobbins are required to be replaced, arm 7 is rotated manually upwardly; the resilient engagement of protuberances 12a and 12b with recesses 9a and 90 on the sides of flange plates 8 and 8' permitting arm root to rotate together with arm 7 through about 90 and protuberances 12a and 12b to engage with recesses 9b and 9d to hold arm 7 there. While arm 7 is thus being held, the operations of replacing bobbins are carried out, and after the conclusion of replacement arm 7 is pulled down to permit protuberances 12a and 12b to move from recesses 9b and 9d of flange plates 8 and 8' to engage recesses 90 and 9c of flange plates 8 and 8' at a position where arm 7 hangs down.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a pressurized fluid cylinder is utilized to drive rotating shaft 4; however, other driving mechanisms of well-known types can be also used to rotate shaft 4. Similarly, other mechanism may be employed to engage flange plates 8 and 8 and arm root l0 resiliently and yieldably and render arm root l0 movable or rotatable relative to flange plates 8 and 8. For instance, as shown in FIG. 5 elements having the same function as in FIG. 3 are given the same reference numerals, pressure contact elements 12 and 12' including annular disks are disposed on the sides of flange plates 8 and 8' facing both sides of arm root 10 by means of retractable members 13 and 13' such as springs, elastomer, etc., to permit both sides of arm root 10 to be urged against pressure contact elements 12 and 12' and thereby arm root l0 and flange plates 8 and 8' are engaged resiliently and yieldably so that the former is movable or rotatable relative to the latter. Arm 7 may be rotated by rotation of shaft 4; however, arm 7 is rotatable without rotating shaft 4 by an appropriate selection of springs 13 and 13 or by adjusting nuts 15 and 15 such that the distance between arm root I0 and flange plates 8 and 8 is varied to adjust the friction between pressurecontact elements 12 and 12 and arm root 10, either on one or both of the sides of arm root 10. Pressure contact elements 12 and 12 may be composed of rubberlike elastomeric material or facing material of a well-known type. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a cross-shaped protuberance 16 may be disposed on the side of pressure contact element 12 and a mating cross-shaped groove 17 may be disposed on the side of arm root 10 to engage protuberance 16. In lieu of a combination of a contact element and a spring, at least one side of facing flange plates 8 and 8 and arm root 10 may be composed of elastomeric material to permit both sides of flange plates 8 and 8 and arm root 10 to be urged against each other so that when the shaft rotates, the arm rotates together with the shaft and the arm is also rotatable relative to the shaft by an outer force other than the driving force for the shaft. For instance in FIG. 8, linings l8 and 18 of elastomeric material are mounted on the sides of flange plates 8 and 8 facing both sides of arm root 10. By the contact pressure between linings l8 and 18 and both sides of arm root 10 IS attained an engagement resilient but movable and rotatable. An appropriate contact pressure is adjustable by adjusting the positions of flange plates 8 and 8' with screws 15 and 15'.

According to the present invention, when undrawn yarn bobbins loaded on the creel stand are replaced collectively or partially, it becomes easier to transfer the arm having a guid ing member for guiding undrawn yarn to a position that does not obstruct the replacement operations of bobbins, which enables the efficient doffing and loading of bobbins and eliminates almost all the occurrences of yarn stains.

What we claim is:

I. An apparatus for unwinding yarn from a bobbin comprising a creel stand including a support member and a holder for loading the bobbin outwardly projecting from said support member; a shaft disposed rotatably above said holder and spaced from, and in front of, said support member; and arm having on one end an arm root rotatably mounted on said 'shaft and a guiding member on the other end, said guiding member being substantially coaxial with the bobbin accommodated on said holder and forwardly spaced from the tip of said holder; a pair of flange plates secured to said shaft closely adjacent both sides of said arm root to resiliently and yieldably engage said arm root; and means for rotating said shaft a predetermined angle of rotation whereby said arm is rotatable together with said shaft as said shaft is rotated and said arm is rotatable around said shaft by an outer force other than the driving force of said shaft.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one side of said flange plates facing each other and said arm root is composed of elastomeric material and said arm root and both the sides facing each other of said flange plates'are urged against each other by a contact pressure such that upon rotation of said shaft, said arm rotates together with said shaft and such that said arm is rotatable relative to said shaft by an outer force other than the driving force of said shaft.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein on at least one side of said flange plates and said arm root is vertically movably mounted at least one pressure contact element through retractable members; on the other side of said flange plates and said arm root facing said side is disposed at face engaged with said pressure contact element whereby said arm root and said flange plates are resiliently engaged with each other.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein pressure contact elements are mounted on both sides of said arm root, and faces are arranged on the sides of said flange plates facing both the sides of said arm root so that said faces are engaged with said pressure contact elements.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said pressure contact element has at least one protuberance, and on the other side facing said flange plates or said arm root are disposed at least two recesses to be engaged with said protuberance.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein on said shaft is disposed means for rendering said flange plates slidable relative to said shaft in the axial direction, whereby the relative position between said arm root and said flange plates is adjustable. 

1. An apparatus for unwinding yarn from a bobbin comprising a creel stand including a support member and a holder for loading the bobbin outwardly projecting from said support member; a shaft disposed rotatably above said holder and spaced from, and in front of, said support member; and arm having on one end an arm root rotatably mounted on said shaft and a guiding member on the other end, said guiding member being substantially coaxial with the bobbin accommodated on said holder and forwardly spaced from the tip of said holder; a pair of flange plates secured to said shaft closely adjacent both sides of said arm root to resiliently and yieldably engage said arm root; and means for rotating said shaft a predetermined angle of rotation whereby said arm is rotatable together with said shaft as said shaft is rotated and said arm is rotatable around said shaft by an outer force other than the driving force of said shaft.
 2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one side of said flange platEs facing each other and said arm root is composed of elastomeric material and said arm root and both the sides facing each other of said flange plates are urged against each other by a contact pressure such that upon rotation of said shaft, said arm rotates together with said shaft and such that said arm is rotatable relative to said shaft by an outer force other than the driving force of said shaft.
 3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein on at least one side of said flange plates and said arm root is vertically movably mounted at least one pressure contact element through retractable members; on the other side of said flange plates and said arm root facing said side is disposed a face engaged with said pressure contact element whereby said arm root and said flange plates are resiliently engaged with each other.
 4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein pressure contact elements are mounted on both sides of said arm root, and faces are arranged on the sides of said flange plates facing both the sides of said arm root so that said faces are engaged with said pressure contact elements.
 5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said pressure contact element has at least one protuberance, and on the other side facing said flange plates or said arm root are disposed at least two recesses to be engaged with said protuberance.
 6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein on said shaft is disposed means for rendering said flange plates slidable relative to said shaft in the axial direction, whereby the relative position between said arm root and said flange plates is adjustable. 